FOR PRESS Statement by the Rt. Hon. John McEwen
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade
and Industry, Mr. McEwen, left Sydney to-day to lead the
Australian delegation to the International Sugar Conference
which will commence in Geneva on 17th April.
Before his departure Mr. McEwen said that the
conference had been convened by the Secretary-General of
Dr. Prebisch, with the purpose of negotiating
a new International Sugar Agreement aimed at improving the
conditions of trade for sugar.
Australia was the world's second largest exporter
of sugar and had a vital interest in the outcome of the
conference. Mr. McEwen said that for many years the free
market for sugar had been regulated by successive
International Sugar Agreements. However, in 1961, following
the breach in relations between the United States and Cuba,
the regulatory provisions of the then current I. S. A. were
suspended. Cuba is the world's largest sugar exporter and
before 1961 was the major supplier to the U. S. market.
Sugar prices had risen sharply following the
dislocation of production in Cuba after 1961, but in recent
years prices had declined to near disaster levels creating
considerable financial distress for the sugar industries in
most exporting countries, including Australia. 265
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Mr. McEwen recalled that an earlier negotiating
conference was held in 1965. At that time it had proved
impossible to reach agreement and undoubtedly this had been
an important factor contributing to the depressed prices
which had ruled in the world free market ever since.
Since 1965 a great deal of time and effort had
been expended by Australia and the other major sugar importing
and exporting countries in developing a basis for a new
international sugar agreement. Mr. McEwen said that some
fourteen such meetings had been held under the auspices of
U. N. C. T. A. D. and the International Sugar Council and it was
encouraging that Dr. Prebisch felt sufficiently confident to
call a new conference.
However, Mr. McEwen said a number of important and
difficult issues had still to be resolved.
Mr. McEwen said that the programme of expansion
which the Australian industry had embarked upon in 1963 had
been completed and exports totalling nearly 2m. tons were now
expected from the 1968 crop. In these circumstances the
greater predictability in the export prospects for sugar which
would result from an effective sugar agreement was of tremendous
importance to Australia.
Mr. McEwen said that he was very pleased that
Mr. J. C. A. Pizzey, Premier of Queensland, would also attend the
conference as Deputy Leader of the delegation. The sugar
industry was of vital importance to Queensland and Mr. Pizzeyts
attendance would be of great value.
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Mr. McEwen explained that if he was unable to
stay until the end of the conference, his place as leader of
the delegation would be taken by the Minister for Primary
Industry, Mr. J. D. Anthony.
The Australian delegation would also include the
following senior Commonwealth and Queensland officials and
advisers representing all sections of the industry:-
D. H. McKay
Sir Alan Summnerville
R. S. Livingston
0. Wolf ensberger
E. T. S. Pearce
A. B. Henderson
P. T. Wheen
A. J. Campbell Deputy Secretary, Department of
Trade and Industry
Agent-General for Queensland in
London
-First Assistant Secretary, Department
of Trade and Industry
-Chairman, The Sugar Board
-General Secretary, Australian Sugar
Producers' Association
General Secretary, Australian Cane
Growers' Council
Assistant General Manager, Colonial
Sugar Refining Coy.
Director, Export Development,
Colonial Sugar Refining Company.
Department of Trade and Industry,
CANBERRA. . A. C. T.
11th April, 196837/ 68T